2015 Italian Grand Prix Betting Preview

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After blowouts in Belgium for German drivers Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel, which threw tyre manufacturer Pirelli into the spotlight, tensions are running high in Formula One. With the Pirelli investigation coming to a close, and Ferrari taking some of the blame for ignoring the tyre manufacturer's instructions, tensions are still running high, but the focus returns to the racing ahead of this weekend's Grand Prix in Monza. Crowds and punters will be eager to see if Vettel and new father Rosberg can recover after their blowouts in Belgium, and silence the roar of the lion that is Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton Leading the Charge

Inked with a new eagle tattoo on the side of his neck, Hamilton is hoping to continue his wave of success, and is odds-on favourite to be the race winner this weekend, with Winner Sports listing him at 4/9. "My Eagle represents a visionary," he tweeted this week. "I'm a seeker and I'm willing to push the limits of self-discovery." With ten pole position starts this season, and eight races still to go, Hamilton could be in with a chance of breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record of qualifying first place in 15 races, which he has held since 2011.

Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, German driver Nico Rosberg, is now trailing the Brit by 28 points in the world championship standings, and is expected to take the familiar second step on the podium as he did at Monza in 2014. The gap between the two drivers is close this year, as it was last year, but Hamilton appears to have more of an edge – Rosberg won the qualifying battle in 2014, taking 11 poles to Hamilton's seven. The German may be second favourite, but only a fool would rule him out entirely. Winner Sports offers odds of 9/4 on Rosberg to win.

Ferrari Firing Back

The other German involved in the Pirelli debacle, Sebastian Vettel, is hoping to put the drama of Belgium behind him with a better result this time around. He only trails Rosberg by 39 points in the championship, but will need a good performance this weekend to keep his outside hopes alive.

Last year Vettel finished sixth in Monza, unable to get the better of his Red Bull team mate, Daniel Ricciardo. He can be backed at 16/1 with Winner Sports while fellow Ferrari driver, Kimi Räikkönen, is available at 33/1. A win for Kimi Räikkönen would be the former world champion's first since Australia in 2013 when he was driving for Lotus. Currently sitting fourth in the standings, the Finn has just been re-signed by Ferarri for next season, but this shocked many who expected him to be replaced by Williams driver Valtteri Bottas. He'll be out to prove a point in Monza.

Bottas finished fourth in Italy last year, and can be backed with odds equal to Kimi Räikkönen at 33/1. Williams have had a decent season so far, and currently sit third, above Red Bull in the manufacturers standings. After re-signing both drivers for next year, the team will be hoping for a solid performance in Italy. Williams' Brazilian driver Felipe Massa can be backed at 40/1.

Fastest Lap Betting

There is no surprise that Hamilton gets near enough even odds for the fastest lap, with Coral Sports offering 11/10. His teammate may prove a more rewarding bet, with Coral Sports giving Rosberg odds of 12/5.

Ice Man Kimi Räikkönen gets better odds than both Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas in the fastest lap category – the Finn can be backed at 8/1, Vettel at 11/1, and Bottas at 18/1 with Coral Sports.

So if you fancy a flutter on Formlau One, from the fastest lap to the overall winner, visit Winner Sports today.